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Online Japanese courses

These online Japanese courses will expand your career prospects, all from the comfort of your own home.

Nick Dale
Nick Dale

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Japanese woman teaching foreigners Japanese.

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Always dreamed of speaking Japanese with ease and confidence? In a world that's rapidly expanding in online education, it's now easier than ever to study Japanese with quality institutions right at home.

Whether you want to learn the language to get by during a trip to Japan, easily chat with friends or gain formal qualifications in Japanese, keep reading for details on where to find a suitable course and potential career opportunities.

Where can I find Japanese courses online?

Data indicated here is updated regularly
Name Product Are accredited courses available? Are free courses offered? Payment methods
Udemy
Udemy - Japanese
Yes
Yes
Visa,Mastercard,Discover Card,American Express,PayPal
Find courses now
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The Great Courses
The Great Courses - Japanese
Yes
No
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
Find courses now
View details
edX
edX - Japanese
Yes
Yes
Visa, Discover, American Express, PayPal
Find courses now
View details
Coursera
Coursera - Japanese
Yes
Yes
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, PayPal, JCB
View details
Courses for Success
Courses for Success - Japanese
No
No
Visa, MasterCard, bank transfer
View details
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Compare up to 4 providers

What Japanese courses are available online?

Short courses

Study Japanese at all levels for your own individual needs with these short courses.

COURSEINFORMATIONINSTITUTION
Online Japanese Beginners CourseCourse length: 5.5 hours plus self study
Subjects covered: Writing and pronunciation of Japanese hiragana and katakana and Japanese pronunciation.		Udemy
Japanese Language Crash CourseCourse length: 38 mins on demand video + self study
Subjects covered: Common Japanese greetings, introductions, ordering food at a restaurant.		Udemy
Delicious Japanese Language for FoodiesCourse length: 2.5 hours of on demand video + self study
Subjects include: Japanese phrases for ordering food, Japanese cooking, Japanese conversation.		Udemy
Understanding Japan: A Cultural HistoryCourse length: 12 hours
Subjects include: Japan through ancient myths, aspects of the Japanese language, early Japanese Buddhism, Japanese poetry.		The Great Courses
Japanese Course - Beginner and IntermediateCourse length: 10 sessions. 25 hours total.
Subjects include: Basic greetings, talking about hobbies, talking over the phone, giving directions, using hiragana, katakana and kanji.		University of Sydney
Japanese E-Learning Courses (A1 - A2 level)Course length: 10 weeks / 5 lessons every 2 weeks.
Subjects include: Food, home, daily life, towns, shopping, family, seasons and weather.		Japan Foundation
Introductory JapaneseCourse length: 18 weeks
Topics include: Basic hiragana, basic statements and questions, describing things and people and katakana.		Open Universities
Japanese Language 1ACourse length: 16 weeks
Subjects covered: Participating in simple conversations, reading and writing, Japanese society and culture.		Open Universities
Japanese Language 1BCourse length: 16 weeks
Subjects covered: Simple conversations, Reading and writing and Japanese society and culture.		Open Universities
Online Group Classes - JapaneseCourse length: varies
Subjects covered: Japanese reading, writing and speaking.		Nunawading Japanese School
Japanese LessonsCourse length: Varies
Subjects covered: Japanese vocabulary, speaking, listening, reading and writing.		Listen & Learn Australia
Online Japanese Courses - All levelsCourse length: Varies
Subjects covered: Japanese vocabulary, grammar, speaking, listening, reading and writing.		Japanese Australia

Certificates

Take your passion for Japanese and build a career with these certificate courses.

Course Information Institution
Certificate II in an Applied Language (Japanese)Course length: Varies
Subjects covered: Social proficiency in reading, writing and spoken language		Vocational Language Learning Centre
Certificate III in an Applied Language (Japanese)Course length: Varies
Subjects covered: Intermediate proficiency in reading, writing and spoken language		Vocational Language Learning Centre
Certificate in Social Proficiency (Japanese)Course length: Varies
Subjects covered: Social proficiency in reading, writing and spoken language		Vocational Language Learning Centre
Certificate in Intermediate Proficiency (Japanese)Course length: Varies
Subjects covered: Intermediate Communication Skills III, Fluency in Reading and Writing Skills III, Cultural Awareness Skills III.		Vocational Language Learning Centre
Certificate in Vocational Proficiency (Japanese)Course length: Varies
Subjects include: Intermediate Vocational Skills IV, Vocational Reading and Writing Communication Skills IV.		Vocational Language Learning Centre

Diplomas

If you want to add further qualifications to your undergraduate degree, consider studying a diploma in Japanese. These courses can allow you to enter fields such as interpreting, translating and the travel industry.

CourseInformation Institution
Diploma in Languages: JapaneseCourse length: 1 year full time / 2 years part time.

Subjects include: Japanese in informal and formal contexts, Japanese speaking, listening and reading and writing.

Career prospects: Commercial industries, education, journalism and language translation.

University of Newcastle

University of Melbourne

Diploma in Modern Languages: JapaneseCourse length: 1 year full time / 2 years part time

Subjects include: Proficient oral/aural, reading and writing skills in Japanese, Inter-cultural and cross-cultural issues.

Career prospects: Policy and planning manager, public relations professional and intelligence and policy analyst.

Open Universities

Bachelor's degrees

For extensive Japanese studies that can lead to some exciting career opportunities in careers such as teaching, international business and the defence force, a bachelor's degree majoring in Japanese will open many doors for you.

Course InformationInstitution
Bachelor of Languages: JapaneseCourse length: 3 years full time / up to 10 years part time.

Subjects include: Japanese Language 1A to 3B, Cultural expression in modern Asia, introduction to Japanese language in society.

Career prospects: Advertising, marketing and public relations, education and international relations and diplomacy.

University of New England
Bachelor of Arts: Japanese majorCourse length: 3 years full time / up to 10 years part time.

Subjects include: Japanese grammar, literature, art and history.

Career prospects: Diplomacy, media and publishing, cultural advisor, tourism and travel consultant.

Curtin University

University of Wollongong

Macquarie University

Who should take an online Japanese course?

Learning Japanese is useful for anyone who wants to work in the fields of international business and trade, tourism, translation and interpreting.

If you have a fascination with Japan and Japanese culture, studying Japanese can certainly be rewarding and stimulating.

An online Japanese course can give you the communication skills you need to expand your social circle and create opportunities to work in Japan or with Japanese companies.

What topics may be covered in an online Japanese course?

An online Japanese course can cover all the key skills you need to write, read and speak Japanese. A typical course will cover the following:

  • Grammar
  • Vocabulary
  • Listening comprehension
  • Reading comprehension
  • Writing skills
  • Pronunciation
  • Japanese culture
  • Speaking Japanese with role plays and conversations
  • Japanese history

How long does an online Japanese course take to complete?

An online Japanese course can range from short courses of five lessons to university degrees that require three years of full-time study or more.

A standard term of Japanese classes runs for around 10 weeks. However, if you take a self-paced course, you can study during your own time and at your own pace.

It takes some time to develop your language skills so you can reach higher levels. This will vary depending on your goals and your own approach to learning.

What are the career opportunities after taking an Japanese course?

Learning Japanese can create a path to a career in international relations and to being a translator for companies. Here are just some of your career prospects:

  • Translation
  • Interpreting
  • Japanese teacher
  • Immigration officer
  • Journalist
  • Flight attendant
  • Travel agent
  • Market research
  • Import/export coordinator
  • Logistics coordinator
  • Japanese-English customer service representative
  • Contract writer
  • Media sales associate

What equipment and software will I need?

The great thing about studying a language online is that you can do it from anywhere with just a computer or laptop and a stable Internet connection.

In many cases, you'll also need to download video conferencing software such as Skype, Zoom or Google Hangouts. You'll find out which software to use when you sign up for your course.

When studying a university degree online, all of your course content will be available on the university platform.

See the latest deals for online Japanese courses

edXedX

Free courses

Learn from more than 160 top learning institutions around the globe. Sign up for free online courses on topics like business and management, humanities, philosophy, social sciences, medicine, engineering, computer science, and more. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal
UdemyUdemy

Up to 70% off Japanese language courses

Get up to 70% off Japanese language courses. Available for beginner and intermediate courses, crash courses, and more. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal

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